Study Reveals Key miRNA–mRNA Networks in Salt-Tolerant Cotton

A research team led by Dr. Mohsin Tanveer from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed how microRNA-mediated transcriptome regulatory networks contribute to salt tolerance in cotton by coordinating photosynthesis, redox balance, and growth responses under salt stress. Their findings were published in Industrial Crops & Products on April 25.

Salt stress is one of the major environmental constraints limiting cotton productivity worldwide. Although photosynthesis is essential for cotton yield, salinity often intensifies the growth–defence trade-off, resulting in reduced growth and productivity. “Understanding how cotton maintains photosynthetic activity while activating stress defence pathways is important for improving salt tolerance," said Dr. Muhammad Saqib Bilal, first author of the study.

The researchers integrated physiological analyses, transcriptomics, miRNA profiling, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and machine learning-assisted phenotyping to investigate salt stress responses in semi-wild cotton genotypes.

Their results showed that the salt-tolerant genotype TM-1 maintained stronger coordination between photosynthesis-related genes and antioxidant pathways than the salt-sensitive genotype 204 under NaCl stress, effectively minimizing the classical growth-defence trade-off. Several hub genes associated with the Calvin cycle and redox homeostasis, including RUBISCO, FBPase, PGK, POD, and CYP450, were closely linked to salt tolerance responses.

The team also identified salt-responsive miRNAs; ghr-miR156b, ghr-miR160, ghr-miR164, and ghr-miR166b that regulate growth and photosynthesis-related target genes in TM-1. In contrast, the salt-sensitive genotype 204 showed weaker regulatory coordination, resulting in stronger growth inhibition under salt stress.

This study provides new insights into the integration of physiological and multi-omics approaches for understanding salt stress adaptation in cotton and offers potential molecular targets for future salt-tolerance breeding programs.

Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123316

Contact

LONG Huaping

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

E-mail: longhp@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Web: http://english.egi.cas.cn